| Thermo Electron Corporation | |
| Fate: | Merged with Fisher Scientific |
| Successor: | Thermo Fisher Scientific |
| Foundation: | 1956 |
| Defunct: | 2006 |
| Location: | Waltham, Massachusetts |
| Products: | Analytical and scientific products and services |
| Num Employees: | 37,000 |
Thermo Electron Corporation (NYSE: TMO) (incorporated 1956) was a major provider of analytical instruments and services for a variety of domains. It was co-founded in 1956 by George N. Hatsopoulos, an MIT PhD in mechanical engineering, and Peter M. Nomikos, a Harvard Business School graduate, who provided initial funding.[1]
After graduating from Northeastern University in 1959 John Hatsopoulos[2] (brother of George) later joined the company as Financial Controller. Arvin Smith joined the company in 1970, and was President from January 1998.[3]
On May 14, 2006, Thermo and Fisher Scientific announced that they would merge in a tax-free, stock-for-stock exchange. The merged company became Thermo Fisher Scientific. On November 9, 2006, the companies announced that the merger had been completed.[4] However, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that this acquisition was anticompetitive with regard to centrifugal evaporators, requiring Fisher to divest Genevac.[5] In April 2007, Genevac was sold to Riverlake Partners LLC[6] and the merger closed with FTC approval.[7]
In 2011, the aggregated company Thermo Fisher Scientific had revenues of over $11 billion, and employed 37,000 people.